GSCT MAY 08 - METAL BENDER WINS IN FLUENT FASHION

By Graham Potter and Matthew Grimson | Monday, May 10, 2010

Gold Coast, May 8, 2010.
A.D. Hollindale Stakes (Group 2 - WFA) - 1800m. Time: 1-49.51. (Carrying 59kg).
Track - Slow 6. Rail - out 0.5m.
1 Metal Bender; 2 Road To Rock; 3 Gold Water.

The Chris Waller trained Metal Bender struck gold in his third start since resuming after being out of action for almost twelve months when he comprehensively outgunned his opposition to take out the Group 2 A.D. Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

The New Zealand bred son of Danasinga was trained by the late Jack Denham for his first nine starts which included five wins highlighted by successive Group 1 victories in the Randwick Guineas (over 1600m) and the Rosehill Guineas (over 2000m).

Metal Bender’s career was put on hold when X-Rays revealed he had a cracked stifle and it has been a long road back to racing fitness for the gelding, who reappeared for his new stable on April 10 in the Group 1 T J Smith (over 1200m). He then followed up by tackling the Group 1 All Aged, again at Randwick, this time over 1400m.

Metal Bender finished unplaced on both of those occasions, but he needed far more ground than he got in those two come-back starts to be effective. Those runs did however serve a solid purpose in bringing Metal Bender up to race-winning form and that is what he displayed in no uncertain terms when stepping up to the 1800m trip.

The four-year-old was ridden in confident fashion by jockey Hugh Bowman who gave Metal Bender the run of the race as he settled the gelding in a comfortable third place behind the free-running leader Rockdale and Gold Water who took the trail behind the frontrunner.

With the pace being true, the field quickly became strung out and the significant gap at that stage was the six lengths advantage that Metal Bender held over the short-price favourite Road To Rock who raced back towards the rear of the field in the early part.

Rockdale became the victim of his own strong early gallop as he tired quickly approaching the turn. Gold Water took over the lead full of running, but she was being stalked by Metal Bender who ranged up alongside the new leader as these two runners brought the field into the home straight.

Road To Rock made up good ground in the sweep to turn to corner a little more than three lengths off the lead, but the main fancy was momentarily trapped in restricted galloping room as he had to switch around the weakening Rockdale, who compounded and dropped back sharply through the field, before trying to line up a path to chase the leaders.

As Metal Bender and Gold Water joined issue with meaning in a pulsating stride for stride battle which lasted almost the whole length of the straight, Road To Rock went back to the inside and chased gamely but, with the favourite unable to close ground at a fast enough rate to move into serious contention, it was soon apparent that it the race winner would be decided by the battle up front.

Game and as full of fight as Gold Water was, Metal Bender took her measure inside the final 100m and raced away to a decisive 1.30 length victory. Road To Rock did do enough to head the tiring Gold Water late to earn second place.

No other runner threatened the result.

Metal Bender’s run was the cherry on the top of a run of successful results for the stable on the day. Waller runners won the first three races on the card at Rosehill and he also had a winner at Newcastle.

For jockey Hugh Bowman Metal Bender’s win was just another Group race success for one of the country’s top riders.

WINNER FEEDBACK
Trainer Chris Waller: “It was a very good ride from Hugh Bowman and obviously a very talented horse that I am very fortunate to be training. He’s going to the Doomben Cup in two weeks time. These two races have been the main targets.

“I think he has needed the two lead up runs in Sydney and obviously needed to race over suitable distances so we are back on track. The Doomben Cup is obviously a Group 1 and today was good prize money. The Doomben Cup is the next one and then he’ll head out for the winter and then back for the spring.

“Winning form is good form. Weight for age ... and there were some good horses in the race. Road To Rock’s got some terrific form and Gold Water’s well trained and a very good horse, so we were amongst good company here.*

“Yeah, I think there is enough improvement to come for next time.”

*(Road To Rock won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth over 2000m on April 24 and he was narrowly beaten in the run before that when carrying 1kg overweight in the Doncaster while the luckless Gold Water has finished second on three successive occasions, including a Group 1 runner-up finish behind Alverta in the Coolmore, before finishing third here).

Jockey Hugh Bowman: “He is a good horse. I thought he was the best horse in the race. Obviously Road To Rock has been in good form, but he has had a long campaign.

“My horse is a bit of a fresh horse on the scene. We were pretty confident coming here today. Whether he won or not, we knew he was going to run well.

“Chris (Waller) doesn’t give too many instructions, but we both agreed that we might have him a bit closer than he has been the last couple. He was up certainly up in trip today. He’s been ridden close before in his career and has raced well. On this track it suited to ride him close.

“I pushed him early. He is a bit of a lethargic type, but once I got him up in the spot it took me a little bit to relax him again. You know, he’s used to being ridden quiet all the time, so he was probably not used to being pushed up early on, but once he did relax I was always pretty confident and he made his own luck from there.

“He’ll go on to the Doomben Cup now. That’s a race he has been aimed at. There’s no reason why he can’t repeat it.”

PRICE FLUCTUATION:
Winner (Metal Bender): 5.00 out to 5.50.
Favourite (Road To Rock): 1.90 out to 2.00 in to 1.90. Finished second.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
Acting on veterinary advice that the gelding was lame in the off hind leg, Snapy Halo (M Rodd) was a late withdrawal at 2.10 pm by order of the Stewards.

Gold Water (S Scriven) was presented to race without blinkers. Trainer G Waterhouse was fined the sum of $200.

Fulmonti (L Cassidy) hung in when placed under pressure to improve leaving the 600m.

Waller

Bowman